


Love Me Not

by italianice15



Category: Avengers
Genre: Bruce Is a Good Bro, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Tony, Sexual Content, a/b/o dynamics, alpha bucky
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-04-08 01:59:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14094567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/italianice15/pseuds/italianice15
Summary: Tony was in need and Bucky was just being a good friend. Nobody expected this to happen.





	1. So Hot

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like the story. Thanks for reading!

The team had taken a vacation to Tony’s Malibu mansion. It was in the dead of July, so everything was hot. The sand, the patio, the house were all sweltering, but nobody seemed to mind much. It was a rare opportunity to relax and they’d all take severe sunburn over battle wounds any day. Unfortunately, being this close to four Alphas who weren’t on suppressants did a number on Tony’s heat cycle. 

No one on the team, except Bruce, knew that Tony was an Omega. He kept his assignment under tight wraps. So when Steve, Clint, Sam, and Bucky all went off their suppressants to prevent ruts, Tony was overwhelmed. He laid in bed in agony. The hot air against heated skin was torture and no one to assist in his efforts for an orgasm made it that much worse. He didn’t hear the person calling his name from the hallway and he wouldn’t have cared if he had.

“Tony? Tony, Clint made lunch, come eat. Tony!”, the voice came closer, but Tony didn’t register it. If it was Bruce, he’d understand and leave Tony to his own devices.

“Tony, is that you? Oh, shit!”

Yep, Bucky Barnes just saw him splayed out in the bed with a knotted dildo almost entirely in his ass. The door slammed shut, but Tony wasn’t sure which side Bucky was on. Not until he spoke up again.

“You can’t do that with four Alphas here!”, his voice was deep and demanding, beckoning Tony to listen and obey. Tony stopped and did away with the artificial knot. 

“Jesus, I didn’t even know you were an Omega.”, he hissed, still standing by the door. Tony could tell that his scent was effecting the super soldier.

“Please.”, Tony nearly wept. He made pathetic grabby hands at Bucky, calling him over to the bed.

“No, Tony, we can’t. I don’t even have condoms.”

“Nightstand.”, Tony moaned, twisting around in the bedsheets. 

Sheepishly, Bucky went to the nightstand and, sure enough, there were condoms and birth control pills. Bucky didn’t know how long it had been since Tony last had a heat. From the looks of it, it had been a long time. Tony was an absolute wreck in every sense of the word. Tears, sweat, and slick coated various parts of Tony’s body. Bucky wasn’t sure how much good the contraceptives would do.

“Are you sure?”

Tony nodded enthusiastically.

“Answer me, doll.”

“Yes, please Alpha.”

—

Tony hadn’t been fucked so good in a long, long, long time. He chalked it up to him being in such a violent heat because nobody was that good in bed. He was half asleep, his head resting on Bucky’s chest.

“Tony? Bucky? You’ve been gone all day.”, Bruce called from outside the door. 

With a gentle kiss, Bucky moved Tony away and put his pants back on. He went to the door and blocked the doorway.

“We’re busy.”, Bucky said casually. Bruce nodded, their mingled scents hitting him like a freight train.

“Are you two okay in here? I can bring up some water and food.”, the Beta offered, looking at Tony, who was asleep again.

“Thanks. That’d be a big help.”, Bucky accepted. 

Bruce came back ten minutes later with a pallet of water bottles and various kinds of junk food that he knew Tony loved. 

“I won’t tell anybody, but if you hurt my best friend, I’ll kill you, Alpha or not.”

“Tony’s safe with me.”, Bucky smirked, knowing that Bruce could and would made good on his promise. 

—

Tony woke up an hour later and Bucky was back in bed. He nuzzled up to where Bucky’s neck met his shoulder, burying his nose in the scent glands there. 

“You ready to go again, doll?”, Bucky traced his metal fingers up Tony’s spine as the Omega straddled him between his thighs. The cold metal against Tony’s heated skin felt incredible. 

Tony whined pitifully as he felt Bucky’s newly erect cock against his ass. His entrance was sloppy and gushing with slick. Bucky aligned himself and pushed passed the tight ring of muscle. Tony let out a long moan, as Bucky began to thrust harder. He straightened up and met the Alpha’s thrusts with rhythmic bouncing. 

“Yes, Alpha. Harder, right there, yes! Perfect, there, just like that!”, Tony mewled. He ran his hands up and down Bucky’s chest. Bucky pulled him down and kissed him passionately. It was loud and wet and everything Tony needed. Bucky went from his lips to his jaw to his neck, making Tony clench around his cock.

On the edge of orgasm, Tony wailed as Bucky pushed him down into the mattress. Thank God for memory foam mattresses and rubber feet that prevented the bed frame from hitting the wall, or else the whole team would hear Bucky fucking Tony into oblivion. He did, however, fear they’d be heard because of Tony’s begging.

“I want your knot! Please, Bucky, I want it!”, Tony clawed at the pillow his face was buried in. 

Bucky knew the risks of knotting Tony. He was just here to assist as a friendly favor, not to become a father. 

“Not now, doll.”, he said as he reached around beneath Tony, wrapped his right hand around Tony’s weeping dick and jerked in rhythm with his hard, fast, deep thrusts.

Tony howled as release tore through his body. He was on the edge of tears at the emptiness inside. Minutes later, he fell asleep again. 

—

“Have you seen Bucky and Tony anywhere?”, Sam asked the next morning.

“No, I haven’t. They were gone yesterday, too.”, Natasha answered, already suspicious.

“They went to the city yesterday. Must have gotten drunk some place and stayed in a hotel.”, Bruce said with a shrug. Sam and Natasha nodded in agreement, as it wouldn’t have been the first timer hat happened. 

“I hope they’re okay. The last time Tony got drunk in a strange place, he came back home with a the flu and pink eye.”, Natasha said as she scrambled some eggs for breakfast.

“I’m sure he’s fine.”, Bruce said. Last night, he convinced everyone to sit out by the fire pit as Bucky took care of Tony. Today he had plans to ask everyone to go to the city to shop around. He wasn’t sure how long he, a known introvert, could keep everyone out of the mansion and brushing off Bucky and Tony’s absense without raising further suspicion. 

Steve came into the kitchen, stole a piece of bacon, and began scenting the air. As, arguably, the strongest Alpha, he was attuned to the team’s scents. Luckily, Tony and Bucky’s scents were mingled enough to not give either of them away. Steve couldn’t quite tell who it belonged to exactly.

“Who brought an Omega home?”, he asked. Sam and Natasha looked around, Bruce kept his head down, looking down into his tea. Sam began scenting the air as well, Natasha and Bruce, both betas, remained still.

“I don’t know. Maybe Bucky came back last night.”, Sam suggested. Bruce began to panic, not wanting any of the other Alphas to look for Bucky and start a fight. 

“We should probably leave him, then.”, he blurted out. Steve looked at the quiet, curly-haired man, considering what he’d said.

“Yeah, but we shouldn’t be so careless. There could still be an attack at any minute. We need to stay alert.”, he said, sitting down at the table adjacent to Bruce.

Bruce sighed quietly, eyeing the stairs. He knew he was a decent liar, but against Steve’s persistence, he was near useless. 

—

Three days passed before Bucky slipped up and knotted Tony by accident. He was too caught up in the beauty of Tony’s ass when he bottomed out as he finished, cum filling Tony to the brim. Tony was lazily ecstatic, nibbling up and down Bucky’s neck and giving him more hickies while they were tied. Oh well, that’s what condoms were for.

Bruce came to check on them a few times at night. He replaced all the water, junk food, and condoms they used. He warned them of Steve’s growing worry about their disappearance.

“He’s started to scent the air. He knows there’s an Omega here.”

“If he comes up here I’ll crack his fucking head open.”, Bucky said with a sleeping Tony on top of him.

“Awfully possessive for a favor.”, Bruce smirked.

“Shut up. I just don’t want Tony to freak out.”, a deep blush spread across Bucky’s face. 

Bruce left them alone again, avoiding Steve, Sam, and Clint. They grew antsy as the days passed and it was only a matter of time before they made their way to Tony’s room. Clint was most eager of all, only held back by Steve’s disapproving glares.

“Bucky must not care about the Omega. He’s not even here. I just wanna make sure they’re okay.”

“Please, Clint, I can see your boner from here.”, Sam sneered, remarkably calm compared to the other two Alphas. 

“What do you say we go swimming?”, Natasha asked from the couch. 

“You hate the water.”, Sam said flatly.

“You three seem so tense about Tony being gone and Bucky with his mystery Omega. I just think some time outside would do you some good.”, she shrugged, her voice just as flat as Sam’s. They nodded and walked outside, their trunks already on the patio. Just as Bruce went to follow, Natasha grabbed his arm.

“I don’t know what you’re up to, Banner, but I know you never do anything without good intentions. I’ve decided to help you keep them out of the house.”

“I just don’t want a fight to break out. You know how Alphas are.”

Natasha seemed satisfied with his answer. The two Betas sat on towels in the sand while Sam, Steve, and Clint went to the water. It was all fun and games until Bucky appeared. Bruce saw him first, meeting the ex-assassin before the other saw him.

“Where’s Tony? It’s only been four days. He should be in heat for a little while longer.”

It was then that he noticed how pale Bucky looked.

“His heat stopped.”

—

One broken condom landed Tony in a doctor’s office two days later. The rest of the team was at the movies. Bruce made up a story about Tony going on a bender and getting sick again, which called for a check up. It was almost depressing at how easily the lie was accepted. 

“Well, there’s certainly signs in your blood work, but nothing’s definite, yet. It could just be leftover fluctuating hormones from your heat. Take it easy for two weeks and come see me again, I should be able to give a definite answer then.”, the doctor said. Tony nodded and left the office on shaky legs. When he got back to the mansion, he couldn’t stand to be in his room. Despite changing the sheets and opening the windows to get rid of the scent of Bucky and himself, it was still too strong. 

He went outside and sat on the beach. He had too many hickies and bruises to just wear his trunks, so he opted for sweatpants and an AC/DC shirt.

What if he was pregnant? What would he do? What would Bucky do? What would the team think of him being an Omega and the fact that he lied about it? 

Many more questions flew through Tony’s head as he watched the water lap at the shore. He almost didn’t hear Bruce sit down beside him.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”, he lied.

“Did Bucky treat you right?”, Bruce rose an eyebrow.

“Yes, mom, he was a perfect gentleman. He even fed me twinkies the whole time.”, Tony rolled his eyes.

“Just making sure I know how big of a whole I have to dig to hide the body. Nobody screws my best friend and gets away without a threat or two from me.”, Bruce joked.

“You sure you’re not an Alpha?”

“I thank God everyday that I’m not.”

The silence that followed was peaceful. Tony and Bruce never needed to talk much to enjoy each other’s company. Just sitting was enough for them. The rest of the team came outside not long after that.

“Aren’t you sick? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”, Steve asked.

“I’m fine, but I have to go back in two weeks.”, Tony said without meeting Steve’s gaze.

“Why?”, Clint asked.

“Tapeworm.”

It wasn’t that far from the truth. A fetus sucks all the sustenance it can from its mother. 

“Ew.”, Clint cringed.

“Well, you and your tapeworm have fun. I’m going swimming.”, Bucky said, something life relief washing over him.

“Yeah, you’ve been missing out. We’ve been having family friendly fun while you were up there giving the dicking of a lifetime.”, Sam playfully pushed Bucky.

“Don’t be jealous.”, Bucky returned the gesture.

Now Tony was more anxious than he was before. Was Bucky happy now that he thought Tony wasn’t pregnant? Would he leave Tony alone if he was?


	2. Baby Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha is a good bro too

Flying above New York City while two and a half months pregnant was not Tony’s favorite thing to do, but he refused to leave the team. Nobody knew he was pregnant, not even Bruce. 

“Tony, are you even paying attention? Natasha needs to get to the top of the bell tower. Now!”, Steve’s voice blasted over the comms. Tony did as he was told with minimal sarcastic comments, but his nausea held on tight. He circled around around the Doombots invading the French embassy and felt bile creeping up his throat.

“Tony, are you deaf? Sam needs an assist above the crowd.”, Clint snapped. Again, Tony fired back with some halfhearted comebacks and did his hero-ly duty.

When the battle was over and they all went back to the tower, Steve went to approach Tony about his sub-par performance. However, Tony pushed passed him and went straight to the elevator. 

“What’s up with him?”, Clint asked. 

“I don’t know. He’s probably running away to the lab again.”, Sam shrugged. 

Bucky was concerned, needlessly so, he thought. Seeing the Omega retreat from the team left a bad taste in his mouth. It wasn’t like he could do anything about it, though. Tony had been avoiding him like the plague for about a month. He found it annoying, but he didn’t know why.

—

Bruce went up to the penthouse shortly after The Other Guy calmed down and he was back to his senses. He knew Tony had a bar in the penthouse, but when the elevator doors opened, the shelf was empty. On the kitchen cabinets, there were fruits and vegetables and bottles of vitamins. Prenatal vitamins.

“Tony? Tony, where are you?”

The sound of vomiting could be heard from down the hall. Bruce raced to the bathroom to Tony’s side, finding him hunched over the toilet. Once Tony was finished dry heaving, he leaned against the wall. He looked exhausted and couldn’t bring himself to look at Bruce. It didn’t matter as Bruce began to rant and pace around the spacious bathroom.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone? You went out on a mission with your unborn child. What were you thinking? You’re lucky we’re friends, or I’d tell Steve and only God knows what he’d do. He’d probably have a heart attack.”, Bruce had never been so animated as he was in this moment. Tony could only listen as Bruce continued to rant.

“Have you been taking your vitamins? Have you baby-proofed the apartment? Have you gone for check-ups? You’re not allowed in the lab, I know how you like to blow stuff up.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I’ve got this under control.”, Tony spoke up weakly. Vomiting for five minutes straight didn’t exactly leave one with much energy afterwards.

Bruce stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew Tony was more than likely already on edge and yelling at him probably wouldn’t do much good.

“I’m sorry, Tony. I just didn’t expect you to get pregnant after one heat with Bucky.”

“That makes two of us.”, Tony stood up with some assistance from Bruce.

“Does he know?”, Bruce ushered him to bed. He handed Tony some sweatpants and a t-shirt. He turned away as Tony changed clothes.

“No. I doubt he wants to know.”, Tony grimaced, getting into bed.

“Why’s that?”, Bruce sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Didn’t you see how relieved he was when I told him I had a tapeworm. I mean I get that he doesn’t want kids and that’s fine. I didn’t either, until now. He hasn’t said one word to me since we got back from Malibu.”, Tony crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the headboard.

“Well, maybe you could remedy that by telling him you’re pregnant with his child.”, Bruce said with much needed emphasis. Tony pouted, stubbornly looking away.

“If I tell Bucky, assuming he’s okay with having a kid, he’ll be on my ass about everything I do. Do you remember when Nat broke her leg and he wouldn’t leave her alone? Imagine what he’d he like if he knew I was pregnant.” 

Tony was never accused of being an obedient or submissive Omega. He was quite stubborn and bull-headed, giving some strong-willed Betas, like Natasha, a run for their money.

“To be fair, he is an Alpha, and all the Alphas hovered around her for two months. It’s a miracle that they’re still alive.”

“I’m not a good Omega and Bucky wouldn’t want me or the baby anyway. It’s better not to start trouble where there shouldn’t be any.”, Tony concluded.

“I still think you should tell him. On the off chance that he does decide to stay, you could give your baby a happy family. Isn’t that what kids need?”, Bruce watched Tony’s face soften as he subconsciously ran a hand over his still flat stomach.

“I wouldn’t know. My dad was complete shit and my mom went belly up every chance she could. It’s probably in my genes. I’ll fuck something up, I know it.”, tears welled up in his eyes. Bruce came closer and wrapped his arms around Tony.

“I’m scared, Bruce.”

“I know, Tony. Regardless if Bucky stays or not, you won’t be alone.”

—

That night at dinner, everyone gathered around the communal dinner table for Chinese takeout. Usually, Bucky sat between Steve and Tony, but the Omega sat at the other end of the table next to Bruce. If the continued avoidance wasn’t enough to get on Bucky’s nerves, he saw how red and puffy Tony’s eyes were, like he’d been crying, which unsettled him further. Tony refused to even look in Bucky’s direction, which made him roll his eyes. This didn’t go unnoticed, however, as Natasha was watching him the whole time.

“Something wrong?”, she asked.

“Just that you’re nosy.”, Bucky replied hotly. His tension seeped outward to the other Alphas.

“Don’t talk to her like that.”, Clint snapped, defending his best friend.

“Everybody shut up and eat your dinner.”, Sam growled.

“I’m not even talking, don’t tell me to shut up.”, Steve countered.

Not long thereafter, the first punch was thrown. Bucky’s metal fist connected with Sam’s jaw and it shook the floor. Tony, Bruce, and Natasha retreated to the living room and could only watch the chaos unfold. Anyone with a functioning brain knew it wasn’t a good idea to try and break up a between Alphas.

“What’s gotten into them?”, Bruce asked. In their close proximity, the two Betas caught Tony’s scent. Rather, his new scent, as it had begun to change. Natasha was floored for a moment before speaking.

“You’re pregnant?”

“I figured you would have found out by now. You like to sneak around and stuff.”, Tony shrugged casually, never taking his eyes off the fight. The three of them ducked as a plate came flying their way, shattering against the wall.

“Yeah, I’m a spy, not a mind reader. I only sneak when I need to. I didn’t even know you were an Omega. Who’s the father?”, she lowered her voice for the last part.

“Bucky.”, Bruce answered before Tony could think of a lie. Her green eyes grew wide and she almost said something before Tony cut her off.

“You better not tell. He doesn’t know yet. I’m thinking of a way to tell him.”

“Okay, well, try your words.”, she replied sarcastically.

“Oh, wow. I was thinking of something more along the lines of Morse code, but I’m always open to new suggestions.”

They bantered back and forth for the duration of the altercation in the kitchen. Once it was all over, Bruce ushered them to the med bay in the lab while Natasha and Tony cleaned up.

“How the fuck did they get an entire, unscathed egg roll on top of the refrigerator?”, Natasha asked, standing on a chair.

They mopped and swept and mopped again. Cleaning sticky sweet and sour sauce off the countertops wasn’t much fun either. Especially when the citrus scented cleaner made Tony nauseous.

“You can go sit down if you need to, I’ve got it from here.”, Natasha offered. Tony shook his head and covered his nose.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to be bed-ridden just yet.”, he kept scrubbing the countertops.

—

Approaching his second trimester, Tony had officially called it quits until the baby was born. No more missions, no more press, no more science-ing. He didn’t realize how much of his time he spent doing all those things until he had absolutely nothing else to do. Not to mention that his mood swings had started and his morning sickness held through to the end of the first trimester. 

“Maybe you could start designing the nursery.”, Bruce suggested. That seemed to catch Tony’s attention for a while. 

The next mission was in New York, just outside the tower. Tony stayed behind, feigning illness, and watched through the nursery window.

“It’s okay, little guy. Uncle Bruce and Auntie Nat are going to be fine.”, he ran a hand over his barely-there belly. He could still easily hide it under a hoodie. He watched the team in the distance as they fought whatever sea monster Atuma had dragged up from the depths of the ocean. 

“See, Steve’s got everything under control.”

Tony didn’t know that Steve had instructed Bucky to stay behind and keep an eye on Tony. If he was as sick as he claimed to be, he couldn’t he alone for too long. So when Bucky came up to the penthouse and started making his way down the hall, Tony didn’t know what to do. He was left completely vulnerable and no way to hide his belly.

“Who are you talking to?”, Bucky found him and was silenced by the few decorations in the room.

The walls of the nursery were a soft yellow and plush, white carpet laid on the floor. There was one wooden rocking chair and some pictures hung on the wall. It was obvious what the room was meant to be.

“Tony, why...why are you making a nursery?”, Bucky asked breathlessly. Falling back on his defiant ways, he answered sarcastically.

“To keep my pet pink elephants in here. Do you think they’ll like it?”, he kept his hands on his belly, both to comfort himself and to protect his unborn child, should things get out of hand.

“Don’t bullshit me, Stark. Who’s kid is it?”

“Yours.”, Tony answered sharply, leaving no question as to exactly how offended he was.

Bucky’s brow furrowed as he thought back to Malibu.

“That was almost four months ago. What kind of shitty Omega waits four goddamn months to tell their Alpha they’re pregnant?”, Bucky growled, stalking forward.

“My Alpha? You’re not my Alpha. And what kind of shitty Alpha fucks an Omega in heat, then doesn’t bother to speak to them afterwards?”, Tony replied darkly. Tony knew Bucky exclected him to submit, but he dug his heels in and stood his ground. 

They were interrupted when JARVIS alerted them that the team had successfully driven the monster away from the city. They’d completely forgotten about the destruction outside. Bucky stormed out, leaving Tony alone and shaken to the core.

—

“I’ll kick his ass.”, Natasha spat.

“Please don’t. I want to do it.”, Bruce brought in a ham sandwich and a cup of de-caf tea for Tony, setting it on the nightstand.

“He just left. That was three hours ago.”, Tony sobbed. Natasha held him, rocking him back and forth slowly.

The sound of the elevator opening and someone walking down the hall reached their ears. The Alpha pheromones being projected through the apartment had Bruce and Natasha bolting toward the door. Tony pulled a pillow to his chest, as if it would protect him.

“He’s got a box.”, Natasha said, looking back at Tony. Reluctantly, Tony stood and peeked out into the hall. Bucky walked back to the elevator and was gone once again.

The three went to the nursery and inspected the large cardboard box. 

“It’s a crib.”, Bruce said, pointing to the label. Tony’s shoulders shook as he was overcome by another bout of tears. Bucky came back and they all looked at him. This time, he had a dresser. He moved it to a suitable spot in the room. He was done moving furniture to the nursery later that night. He started putting the crib together with wordless assistance from Natasha, Bruce was putting a bookshelf together, and Tony watched from the rocking chair.

Bucky was uneasy, Tony could tell. He wasn’t projecting his pheromones anymore, but he was restless and fidgety, totally unlike his normally content self. Once Bruce and Natasha deemed it safe to leave them alone together, they left the two to hash out their problems.

“I was going to tell you. I just didn’t know how.”, Tony said as he continued to rock back and forth. Bucky sat on the floor against the wall across the room.

“I’m sorry I called you a shitty Omega. I know I’m not your Alpha, either.”, he apologized without meeting Tony’s gaze. Tony’s heart clenched and the need to make Bucky feel better washed over him. Stupid fucking maternal instincts. He stood, causing Bucky to mildly freak out.

“What’s wrong? Where are you going?”, he rose and hesitated to come closer to Tony. The Omega closed the distance between them, taking Bucky’s right hand and putting it on his belly.

“That’s your baby.”

Bucky’s eyes brimmed with tears that fell down his cheeks. He smoothed his hand over the swelled stomach and bit his lip to keep himself composed.

“I’m sorry, Tony. I’m so sorry. I’m gonna be here for you, I swear. I’ll try to be a good dad to our baby, I promise.”, he sniffed and brought Tony closer to wrap his arms around him.

“Will you try to be a good Alpha, too?”, he asked nervously. Bucky backed away and looked at Tony, his face twisted in confusion. Tony prepared himself for rejection, but a wide, bright smile threatened to split Bucky’s face in two. 

“Really?”

—

“I didn’t know you were an Omega.”

“Or that you and Bucky were a thing.”

They’d told the team after they hadn’t seen Tony for the better part of two weeks. He was nearing the middle of his fourth month, which meant the reveal was long overdue. Steve had yet to say anything.

“Well, we are now.”, Tony smiled as he and Bucky laced their fingers together.

“Do you know what you’re having?”, Sam asked.

“I want to find out, but Bucky wants it to be a surprise.”, Tony jokingly flared at his boyfriend.

“It doesn’t matter to me, as long as they’re healthy.”, he splayed his hand over Tony’s, now, larger, rounder belly.

Steve’s prolonged silence brought an uneasy tone to the team.

“What do you think, Steve?”, Clint asked. 

“I think...I call godfather.”

“Dammit, I wanted to be godfather.”, Sam complained.

—

Tony and Bucky lay together in bed. They were both fast asleep, a rare occurrence. Their respective nightmares and terrors decided to give them both a break for once. The baby, however, didn’t seem to agree. Sharp pains shot through Tony’s abdomen, jolting him from a rather pleasant sleep.

“Ow, ow, ow! Bucky, wake up!”, Tony cried. Bucky sat up quickly and was out of bed, helping Tony up, but he didn’t know what for.

“What’s wrong? Is the baby okay? Are you okay?”

“Does it fucking look like we’re okay?”, he snarled. He made his way to the elevator.

“JARVIS, call the doctor and Bruce.”, he winced as he and Bucky went down to the med bay.

—

Half an hour later, Tony wasn’t in any more pain.

“Just a calcium and iron deficiency. That’s common with multiples.”, the doctor said casually. Tony, Bucky, and Bruce froze.

“Excuse me, multiples?”, Bruce asked.

“Yes, two boys.”, she nodded matter-of-factly. 

“But I only ordered one.”, Tony looked to Bucky, who was still staring at the doctor like she’d lost her mind. Bruce moved a tray out of the way as Bucky’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he hit the floor with a dull thud.


	3. Gone for the Holidays (Part 1)

With the holiday season fast approaching, Tony had been stressed out about not being able to participate in his usual activities for charity. He opened several soup kitchens for the homeless, paid for hospital patient’s needs, and gave toys to children who couldn’t afford them. He loved being able to talk to those he aided personally, to learn hear their stories and meet their families, since he hadn’t had much of one of his own. 

Now, he had a family. Well, was in the process. Also, he was bound to the personal floors of the tower, since the press, thankfully, didn’t know he was pregnant. He couldn’t hide it anymore, no matter how hard he tried. His stomach was huge, like he’d swallowed a watermelon. Bucky couldn’t keep his hands off of it and patiently waited for one of his sons to kick against his hand. 

Tony didn’t know what to make of Bucky. Sure, he agreed to he Tony’s Alpha, but he knew that was only because he was carrying his kids. Since he found out Tony was pregnant, they hadn’t slept together, though they shared a bed. He didn’t show any affection that wasn’t directly related to the babies, though he was possessive over Tony. The Omega lost count of how many fights Bucky almost caused because one of the other Alphas stood too close to him. 

Tony understood that Bucky didn’t love him, and he was fine with that. Tony, however, was head over heals for Bucky and it hurt so badly to know Bucky didn’t have those feelings. 

“How’re my babies?”, Bucky asked one November morning. 

“They’re fine.”, Tony said flatly. He was looking at a cool book for stuffing recipes for Thanksgiving. Bucky didn’t seem to notice his lackluster mood and grabbed his running shoes.

“I’m going running with Steve and Sam. I’ll be back by noon.”, he said, not even looking back at Tony. Tony watched him walk onto the elevator without so much as a goodbye. The tears running down Tony’s cheeks were one hundred percent caused by hormones. Tony wasn’t some clingy, overly attached, emotional Omega that couldn’t deal with his supposed Alpha leaving for a few hours. He didn’t need constant affection and attention in his vulnerable state. 

—

“I know my mom’s old turkey recipe. Natasha’s bringing mashed potatoes and green beans. Clint’s supposed to bring rolls and cranberry sauce. Sam said he’s bringing wine.”, Bruce checked some things off his list. He was excited this year, in his own way. He was a mellow man and didn’t make a big deal about the holiday season. He and Tony had been in the same boat for a long time. He had no family, therefore no one to spend the colder months with.

“Okay.”, Tony nodded. Bruce could tell by his dark brown, slightly hooded eyes that he was a thousand miles away. 

“Is something wrong?”

“No.”

“You’re lying.”

Tony cradled his belly, leaning back into the couch cushions. He put his swollen feet up on the coffee table, far too comfortable around Bruce to be self conscious about his ankles running strainght into his calves.

“Nothing’s wrong. Everything is how it’s supposed to be.”, Tony sighed, feeling his back begin to ache.

Bruce let the subject drop for the time being. Tony didn’t look like he was in the mood for a heart to heart right now.

“How’s the stuffing coming along?”

“Fine. I’ve never made stuffing in my life. We might being little bits of charcoal with eleven herbs and spices.”, Tony chuckled.

“Why do you think Natasha’s bringing instant mashed potatoes and canned green beans?”

They continued to plan Thanksgiving dinner, waiting for Bucky to come back. It started to snow before then, making Tony worry.

“What if they don’t come back? What it they get stuck somewhere? What if it turns into a blizzard?”, Tony looked out the window. Snowflakes started collecting on the glass.

“They’re fine. Two super soldiers and one very persistent soldier can make it through some snow.”, Bruce said, placing a plate on the kitchen island. He warmed up some leftover spaghetti Tony had in the refrigerator.

Tony stayed by the window until the spaghetti was cold and JARVIS alerted him that Bucky was back at the tower.

“See? I told you.”, Bruce said, putting the plate back in the microwave. 

The elevator opened and the Alpha in question, along with Sam and Steve, stepped inside the penthouse.

“Are you crazy? You didn't bring a jacket? It’s November in New York, Bucky! Are you trying to get pneumonia?”, he ranted. Bucky knew it wasn’t a good idea to remind Tony that he couldn’t get sick. 

“Sorry, doll. I’ll bring one next time.”, he said, walking to the kitchen. They saw the pot of cold spaghetti on the cabinet and served themselves. It was all gone and Tony stared in horror as the three starving Alphas ate all the spaghetti on the couch, not leaving one noodle behind. 

“That was for Bruce.”, he said. Bucky flinched, noodles hanging out of his mouth. Sam and Steve paused, too, keeping their eyes glued to the tv.

“It’s okay, Tony. I’ll make something at my place before I go to the lab.”, Bruce dismissed it, but Tony refused to. He slid his plate over in front of Bruce, got off barstool at the kitchen island as gracefully as he could, and half-walked-half-waddled to the bedroom. The door slamming closed broke the stiff silence in the living room.

They finished their lunch, seeing to reason to further anger Tony by wasting food. Bucky began pacing around the apartment, urging Sam and Steve to leave. Bruce left, too, as Alpha pheromones drenched the penthouse. 

It wasn’t just Tony being mad about simple things like spaghetti that had Bucky so infuriated. Tony had been so dismissive of him, it was like he didn’t want Bucky around. Only at night when they were in bed did Tony ever show him any physical contact. He went to Tony’s bedroom door and threw it open.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Tony sat up straighter, blown away by Bucky’s burst of anger.

“With me? There’s nothing wrong with me.”, he defended. Bucky rolled his eyes and laughed.

“I’ve spent months trying to get you to at least look at me, but you treat me like shit!”

Tony could feel unwarranted anger bubbling up against his frustration. He knew this was going to end badly. He wondered if Bucky knew it too. 

“I’m starting to think you never wanted me as your Alpha. You just said that so the press wouldn’t think you were trashy for being a single Omega with two kids.”

“Why would I want everyone to know that I fucked an unstable, one-armed threat to national security?”

Bucky stiffened and, internally, Tony was beating the shit out of himself. 

“Fuck you.”

Bucky stormed out of the penthouse and Tony could only sit in his room. He couldn’t cry now, he’d cried himself out earlier. He ruined the chance of his children having their father in their lives. He also ruined many friendships once Bucky told everyone what he said. 

After that, Bucky didn’t come back. He went back to his apartment and he and Tony rarely saw each other. Even at check-ups, they didn’t talk. They were both too stubborn for their own good.

—

Thanksgiving dinner was tense until Sam brought the wine. Everyone who wasn’t eating for three or a supersoldier drank as much as they could. No one knew what had exactly gone down between Bucky and Tony, but there was an obvious rift between them. It started when Natasha bragged on Tony for making the stuffing, which turned out much better than expected, and Bucky dumped it back into the dish. Tony sat at the opposite end of the table by Clint, who was drunk and a hugger.

Sam, Natasha, Clint, and even Bruce were all red-faced by the middle of Thanksgiving dinner. That left Steve in an awkward spot as Bucky stared Tony down as the Omega finished his food. The rest of the dinner patrons drunkenly proclaimed everything they’d been thankful for.

“I’m thankful that I have all of you. You’re the greatest, guys. I love you all.”, Clint held up his wine glass. Natasha agreed and Sam brought him in for a bone crushing hug. 

“I’m thankful that Sam brought the wine. It’s really good wine.”, Natasha hugged the bottle. 

Eventually, Steve had to bring them to their apartments. Again, Bucky and Tony were alone. They’d promised to clean up and didn’t intend on leaving the food out because they were at odds.

Bucky did the dishes while Tony put the food in tupperware containers. He lifted the turkey with a grunt because it was heavy and a soapy handed super soldier was right there to take it away.

“You’re gonna drop it.”, he warned harshly as he set it on the counter, dried his hands, and put the turkey away. Tony huffed and crossed his arms.

“I’m pregnant, not crippled.”

“You’re pregnant with my kids.”, Bucky emphasized. Tony continued to put the leftovers away. Then he changed the tablecloth, as it had accumulated quite a few wine stains over the course of dinner. Once the old tablecloth was off, he went to the closet where the others were kept. Unfortunately, it was on the highest shelf, even Steve had to stand on his toes, and Tony couldn’t reach it. Before he could get a chair, Bucky came behind him to reach up and get it.

“Why don’t you just go and lay down. You look tired anyway.”, Bucky chastised as he put the new tablecloth on the table.

Tony didn’t want to admit that he couldn’t sleep without Bucky there. He also didn’t want to apologize for the sake of his pride.

“There’s still stuff to do here. We have to sweep up the crumbs and mop up the spilled gravy from the slop squad. The cabinets have to be cleaned, too, and-“

“I can do all that. Besides, who wants to help an unstable, one-armed threat to national security clean the kitchen? Aren’t you afraid I’ll stab you or something?”, he snarled at Tony. Tony furrowed his brow and got the broom to sweep.

“No, because I have twelve active suits two floors down that could kick your ass.”, Tony knew that was a lie. With no direction, the suits could only hold Bucky off for ten minutes at best. 

Bucky let Tony sweep while he cleaned the cabinets. He got to the mop before the disgruntled Omega could, though, so Tony left for the penthouse.

If Bucky was thankful for anything that day, it was that he and Tony didn’t completely ruin the holiday. Sure, they didn’t do anything to hide their current disdain for one another, but in the end it wasn’t too bad. Wine worked wonders for tense holiday dinners. 

—

Christmas preparations started immediately after Thanksgiving ended. Pepper put herself in charge of decorating the business floors and outside of the tower. She employed the suits to her advantage of handing lights and giant wreaths. The personal floors were left completely to the discretion of the team. 

Tony assisted Natasha and Clint with the Christmas tree. It was artificial, because allergies, so they had to spent upwards of an hour finding out how to put it together.

“No, that branch goes here.”, Natasha pointed to the diagram.

“They’re color coded. This one is orange, so it goes here.”, Clint countered. 

Meanwhile, Tony was actually putting it together by trial and error. He got halfway through before he felt someone grab his arm.

“Sit down.”, Bucky said, his voice ordered Tony to obey. Natasha backed away, submitting to the sudden, unwarranted display of dominance. Clint stiffened, ready to react accordingly. Tony, however, wrenched his wrist out of Bucky’s grasp and put some of the branches in his arms. 

“Hold these for me. I’ll be fine if I don’t have to bend down.”, he said lightly. Bucky growled, but watched Tony work. 

“You’re almost seven months along, Tony. The last thing you need to be doing is putting up a goddamn Christmas tree.”, he raised his voice.

“Now that’s not the holiday spirit.”, Tony pouted. Bucky sighed, trying to avoid the instincts telling him to carry Tony to bed. Natasha and Clint had gone to hang garland and lights around the living room.

“And we have to decorate the tree. You might have to put the star on top, though, since I’m suddenly banned from chairs and stepladders.”, he eyed Bucky. Great, Tony was in barely-compliant-and-extra-salty mode. 

After the tree was put up, Tony went to pick up a box of ornaments. 

“Nothing over five pounds.”, Bucky recited the doctor’s orders.

“How do you know that’s five pounds?”

Bucky put the box up on the coffee table and opened it. Tony fussed over where they all went on the tree with the help of Natasha as Clint ate the candy canes that were meant for decoration.

“Stop eating that.”, Natasha snatched it away from him. 

“You’re no fun.”, he pouted, getting another candy cane.

Bucky’s leg bounced up and down as he watched Tony put more ornaments on the tree. Tony was supposed to be on bedrest and not allowed to stand more than ten minutes at a time because the twins were too heavy and his spine couldn’t handle it. If he wanted to make Tony follow all of the doctor’s orders, he’d have hog-tied him and brought him up to his bed already.

Bucky pushed the thoughts of Tony’s bed out of his mind. He’d had blue balls for months. He couldn’t stand to see Tony all soft and round and big like he was. Seeing the vessel of his unborn children deliberately disobeying his demands drove him up he wall with frustration and arousal.

“Okay, Bucky, you can relax. I’m going to lay down.”, Tony said. He boarded the elevator, but Bucky got on as well.

“What do you want now?”, Tony grimaced.

“Making sure you won’t fuck around in the penthouse.”, Bucky said, leaning against the wall.

“You don’t trust me?”

“Do I have a reason to?”

Tony didn’t want to fight. He wasn’t in the mood and he’d probably vomit on Bucky if he got too worked up. Whoever said morning sickness only lasted the first trimester and was solely isolated to the morning was a fucking liar.

“Please, not now.”, he said. Bucky didn’t push it, seeing that Tony genuinely didn’t look well at all.

“Have you taken your vitamins?”

Tony nodded.

“Did you eat breakfast?”

Tony nodded again. Bucky resisted the urge to bring Tony close to him.

By the time they got to the penthouse, Tony was asleep on his feet. Bucky tried to hold him steady, but Tony avoided him. Again. 

He got to bed and struggled to find a comfortable position. Once he did, he pulled all the blankets up to his chest. Bucky stood awkwardly by the door.

“Do you need anything?”, Bucky asked.

Yes, Tony needed him to come and lay down with him so they could at least look like the happy family he always wanted.

“No, you can go.”


	4. Gone for the Holidays (Part 2)

Bucky left Tony’s apartment and headed for his own. Almost immediately after he fell face first into his bed, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

“Hello?”, he answered into the pillow.

“You’ve got a mission, Barnes. Helicarrier in fifteen minutes.”, Fury directed shortly before hanging up. Bucky groaned loudly and dramatically before getting up to do his job.

—

Bucky had been gone for a week and Christmas would soon arrive. Tony finished all his shopping and was wrapping presents when a dull ache grew in his stomach that stretched up his back. Two seconds later, it felt like he was being stabbed. He knew what it was and how to breathe through it, but it never failed to scare him.

“Another false contraction?”, Bruce asked. Tony nodded, his face contorted in pain. Natasha, sitting next to Tony on the couch, offered her hand for the Omega to squeeze. He took it and she regretted it immediately thereafter. Sure, she was strong, but Tony had a solid grip.

“Just breathe.”, Bruce coached him through the breathing techniques the doctor told them about.

“Fuck breathing.”, Tony gasped when it finally passed. Natasha proved her hand from Tony’s to get the circulation in her fingers flowing again. He was too tired to continue wrapping presents, so he leaned back in the couch cushions and turned the tv on. 

“What did you get Steve?”, Natasha asked.

“Paintbrushes and those boxing gloves he’s been talking about.”, Bruce answered. 

The idle conversation settled Tony’s nerves for a while. That didn’t last long, though, as the alarm blared and the Avengers were needed somewhere to do their thing.

Tony watched the jet leave from the penthouse window. He smoothed his hands across his belly and felt two kicks against his palms. 

“Sir, Sergeant Barnes is on his way back to the tower. He is in need of medical care.”, JARVIS reported. Tony panicked and struggled to get up from the couch.

“What’s wrong?”, Tony asked.

“Lacerations to the right arm and abdomen. Burns and gashes along the right side of the body. Concerning amounts of blood lost.”, JARVIS listed flatly. 

Once Tony was able to get up and down to the lab, he set up the med bay accordingly. Now, he just had to wait. He waited an hour and a half for Bucky to arrive. The elevator took him directly to the lab.

“Oh my god.”, Tony said breathlessly, not loud enough for Bucky to hear it as he stumbled toward Tony.

“I’m fine.”, he mumbled. His clothes and bulletproof armor were dripping with blood.

“Get over here.”, Tony dragged him over to the examination table. He cut away parts of Bucky’s clothes and cleaned his many wounds. In the middle of wrapping Bucky’s arm up, another false contraction hit him like a freight train. He stopped short and bent over a little, cradling his belly with one hand and clenching a fist around a roll of ace bandage with the other.

“What’s the matter?”, Bucky tried to sit up quickly, but dizziness had him stilled and rolling on his back, his hand coming up to soothe his migraine.

“False contractions. It’s fine.”, Tony whimpered. Bucky gave Tony his hand, the metal one, and Tony took it without thinking. Once it passed, he continued his work.

“What happened to you?”, Tony asked.

“I was supposed to detonate some explosives, but I didn’t get out in time.”, he explained lazily.

Tony took the half asleep Alpha up to his apartment. He walked with Bucky the whole way so he didn’t fall. He pulled the covers away from the bed and watched Bucky fall into the blankets. Tony decided to stay so he could keep changing Bucky’s bandages and keep an eye on his headaches. Leaving the bedroom for the living room, Tony passed by an addition to Bucky’s apartment that was there before.

The room was painted a light blue with two cribs, a big playpen, a toy chest, a rocking chair, and a closet stocked full of baby stuff. Books, clothes, toys, and tiny shoes were all neatly organized on the shelves. Tony felt emotions swirling inside, but he didn’t cry, much to his own surprise. Instead, something like sadness overtook him. Bucky was preparing to parent their children separately. Whatever hope Tony had to fix the rift between himself and his sons’ father was squashed then and there.

He played with a solar system themed mobile hanging above one of the cribs. It played soft music and the night light in the middle looked like the sun. Shuffling from the hallway caught his attention.

“Bucky, go back to bed.”, Tony demanded softly. Bucky shook his head, his hair falling out of the bun he’d put it in days ago. He shuffled into the nuersery, but didn’t get too close to Tony.

“You don’t have to stay.”, he mumbled, his words slurred and he kept rubbing at his head.

“Bucky, I think you might have a concussion.”, it must have been a bad one to affect the super soldier this bad.

“I can’t sleep. I feel kinda...”, he stopped and breathed deeply. Tony knew what he meant the instant he saw the look on Bucky’s face.

“Come with me before you throw up.”, he gently pestered Bucky over to the couch. Bucky plopped down roughly and hugged a couch pillow.

“You can’t fall asleep for two hours. I’m going to keep an eye on you. Let me get you some water.”, Tony said. He could feel the dull pain rising in his stomach again, but he walked to the kitchen in search for water bottles anyway.

Bucky heard a noise from the kitchen that sounded like a hiss. He turned slowly and opened his eyes as best he could to see Tony leaning against the kitchen island. He wanted to ask Tony if he was okay, but he couldn’t get the words out. His legs wouldn’t allow him to get up, either.

Sooner than what seemed possible, Tony was back to walking around and fussing over Bucky. He picked up Bucky’s feet and took his boots off and rested them on the coffee table. 

“There, now don’t you fall asleep now. If you go into a coma, I can’t drag your dead weight to the lab.”, Tony swatted Bucky’s thigh lightly, startling the Alpha from his attempted nap.

“I’m tired.”, he slurred.

“Tough shit.”, Tony dismissed. Once he was done taking care of Bucky, he started to focus on the little messes in the apartment. His nesting instincts kicked into high gear as he started sweeping the floor and dusting the shelves.

“You’re still on bedrest.”, Bucky said sluggishly.

“You have a concussion.”

“Come sit down. Those cheesy Christmas movies are on.”, Bucky pointed in the general direction to the tv. Tony rolled his eyes and relented, sitting on the other side of the couch. Bucky looked over at him and started to maneuver Tony so that his feet were in his lap.

“What are you- Oh, God. Yeah, just like that. Mm, that feels good.”, Tony melted in Bucky’s hands as he got the best goddamn foot massage ever. Bucky worked his thumbs deep into the arches of Tony’s feet, making his eyes flutter closed and his eyelashes rest on his cheeks.

“You looked like your feet hurt.”, Bucky explained shortly.

“Mmhmm.”, Tony moaned in euphoria. 

The tension between the two dissipated shortly after the two settled on the couch. Bucky didn’t feel threatened and Tony didn’t feel abandoned anymore. They were close and quiet and together, just the two of them. Well, four, technically. It wasn’t until hours later that their unspoken feelings came to light. 

“I’m sorry.”, Bucky confessed. Tony cracked open one eye and looked to Bucky cautiously.

“Me, too.”, he replied, pushing away all sarcastic comments from his mind.

“You didn’t deserve to be treated the way I treated you. I was an ass and I know that.”, he continued.

“I treated you like shit, too. I apologize for being cold to you.”, Tony played with his fingers nervously. Bucky moved over closer to Tony, allowing him to continue to rest comfortably against the armrest and the couch pillows.

—

Hours later, after several Christmas movies came and went, Tony and Bucky felt they way they did months ago in Malibu. Not heat-addled lust, but warm, fuzzy love. They talked and laughed in a way that hadn’t existed in months. They mostly talked about the team, Christmas, and the babies, of course.

 

“We should probably think about names, huh?”, Tony said. Bucky stilled his hand from making big, gentle circles on Tony’s belly. He hadn’t felt his sons kick against his hand in so long.

“Yeah, probably.”, Bucky agreed. 

The evening was dark and cloudy, snow falling heavily from black clouds above. JARVIS informed the two that the team had arrived back at the tower. Steve entered the apartment shortly after. He was shocked to see Bucky and Tony together and not arguing about something stupid. 

“Hey, Steve.”, Bucky greeted easily.

“What are you guys up to?”, he asked, bypassing the strangeness of it all.

“We’re thinking of names for the babies.”, Tony answered happily.

“Have you considered Steven? I heard that’s a good name.”

—

Two days later and concussion free, Bucky got another call from Fury. Christmas was the three days away and Fury promised the ex-assassin that he’d be home before then. Tony objected vehemently, begging Bucky to stay. 

“Please stay. It’s almost Christmas and what if you don’t come back in time?”, his eyes were glossy with tears he refused to let fall.

“I’ll be back. It’s just a little HYDRA thing.”, Bucky kissed his reassuringly. Being able to kiss Tony again was something Bucky hoped he never got used to. He wanted the warm, elated feeling to stay forever.

Tony stopped protesting and resorted to pouting. When Bucky left, he kissed the Alpha breathless.

“You better come back to me.”

“I promise, babydoll.”

—

Christmas came and went and Tony was devastated. The team tried to distract him with Christmas presents for the babies and it worked for a while. Everyone helped him bring all the new toys up to the nursery in the penthouse, but that only provided momentary relief. 

Tony didn’t get hysterical like he thought he would. He’d taken to shutting himself away while waiting for Bucky’s return. Natasha was sent after Bucky when one week turned into two, which turned into three. Now, firmly nestled in his eighth month, Tony sat in his bed, blankly staring at the ceiling. 

The false contractions began to pick up a pattern with a few hours separating them. Bruce knew it was only a matter of time now, he just hoped that Tony would know when the false contractions ended and the real ones began. The doctor was in the lab when Bucky got off the elevator.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were lost somewhere.”, Bruce stammered.

Natasha followed Bucky off the elevator.

“He wants to surprise Tony. Hurry and give him his check up.”

“Where have you been?”, Bruce asked as he checked Bucky for internal and external injuries.

“Deep cover got a little deeper than anticipated. Tony’s gonna kill me.”, he smiled, thinking of his Omega.

“Alright, you’re good to go. Don’t give my best friend a heart attack.”, Bruce turned him loose.

—

Tony picked at his dinner, a microwaveable TV dinner, thinking about Bucky. He heard the elevator open and he panicked.

“J, who’s here?”

“I’ve been sworn to secrecy, Sir.”

Maybe it wasn’t that bad if JARVIS didn’t find it bad enough to tell Tony. When Bucky walked into the bedroom, he nearly fainted.

“Bucky!”, he said, outstretching his arms. Bucky walked to the bed and Tony caught him in a passionate kiss.

“Hope you’re not mad, babydoll. I didn’t have time to get you a Christmas present.”, Bucky joked.

“I thought you said it was going to be a few days.”, Tony tilted his head to the side adorably.

“I got caught in a bad place. Couldn’t blow my cover.”, he looked away, remembering his promise. Tony kissed him again, taking his shame away.

Bucky changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt, then laid next to Tony. Another false contraction caught Tony off guard and he yelped sharply.

“Those still bothering you?”

“Yeah, they’re more steady now.”, Tony nodded. Bucky went stiff, sitting up straight.

“Doesn’t that mean you’ll go into labor soon?”

“I still have a little while. Don’t panic, that’s my job.”, Tony smirked. Bucky could tell he was tired of the contractions, but he didn’t say anything.

—

A week passed before Bruce grew concerned about the shortening lapses between Tony’s false contractions.

“Have the babies been particularly restless?”, Bruce asked.

“Yeah, now that you mention it.”, Tony confirmed, sitting on the examination table with Bucky beside him.

“Have you been hungry? Thirsty?”

“No.”

Bruce wrote a few things down. Bucky looked over, but didn’t understand the charts.

“What’s that?”

Bruce stayed quiet. He’d been nervous since he expected he’d be the one to perform Tony’s c-section. As nice and lovely as their doctor had been, neither Bucky nor Tony trusted her enough to deliver their newborns.

“Hello? Earth to Bruce.”, Tony pressed.

“I think you might be in the early stages of labor.”, he answered them. The color drained from Bucky’s face and Tony thought he’d pass out again like when they found out the were having twins.

“I don’t feel like I’m in labor.”, Tony said.

“It’s a bit gray at the moment, but I want to keep an eye on you for a while. I know you don’t like to stay here, but I don’t want you to go into labor in the penthouse. I know how emotionally attached you are to the carpet. Amniotic fluid stains like a bitch.”, Bruce said, making Tony laugh. Bucky was still on another planet. Tony nudged him gently, snapping him out of his trance.

“Looks like we’re staying the night, puppy.”, Tony had taken to calling Bucky different silly nicknames after the term ‘babydoll’ stuck.

Bucky nodded and swallowed thickly. His eyes were glued to the floor as his impending fatherhood began to really sink in.


	5. Hello My Baby, Hello My Honey

-2 years later-

Tony had Noah up on his hip, standing on his back patio, while Bucky chased Lucas on the beach. He smiled as he and Noah watched the two play in the sand.

“You two come inside! You’re dinner is getting cold!”, Tony called, catching Bucky and Lucas’ attention. Bucky picked Lucas up, tossing him in their air a little bit as he did so. Tony’s heart skipped a beat as he briefly pictured the two-year-old flying up into outer space and crashing back down to the earth. His worries were whisked away when Bucky successfully caught the little boy and carried him back to the mansion.

“Do you always have to do that?”, Tony griped as he dusted some sand off of Lucas’ cheek.

“Only if I want to see you pout like that.”, Bucky answered coolly. With each parent carrying a twin, they walked inside the house. Tony handed Bucky two towels, one for Lucas and another for himself. 

“Change your clothes then come down for dinner. We’re having lasagna.”, Tony kissed Lucas’ cheek as he fiddled over to the stairs, crawling up as best he could. Bucky offered some assistance, but Lucas eventually got up to the second floor on his own. 

Noah watched as Tony set the table. From his high chair, he vocalized his thoughts on the placement of forks, plates, and glasses.

“Nuh-nuh.”, he made granny hands for a fork. 

“No, baby. You don’t get a grown up fork yet. You get this one.”, he presented the child with a bright green and yellow plastic fork and a plate of lasagna shaped like a bear’s face. Noah, not a picky eater by any stretch of the imagination, forewent the fork and used his hands instead.

“Whatever works, buddy.” Tony shrugged, watching sauce spread all over his son’s cheeks.

Bucky and Lucas came down a moment later, all dried and changed. Bucky placed Lucas in his high chair and the younger twin began to fuss and fight against the tray in front of him.

“Stop that. You know it’s dinner time.”, Bucky gently chastised.

“No!”, he balled his fists and banged them against the plastic tray. Noah watched Lucas silently, scooping a handful of lasagna into his mouth. He missed and a decent sized piece of noodle stuck to his cheek.

“Luca-baby, what’s the matter?”, Tony asked as he walked out of the kitchen with garlic bread. Lucas calmed down slightly when he saw Tony, but continued to fight the high chair with all his might.

“Pway, papa.”, he grunted, freeing one leg while trying to stand up. Tony placed him back into the high chair properly, earning another shouting fit from Lucas.

“We’ll go play again after dinner, but not if you don’t eat your food.”, he put a plate down in front of Lucas, who pushed it away and turned his head. Noah, who was half done, as he ate at a notoriously slow pace, hummed and sound one messy hand at Lucas to grab his attention. In a way that only a twin could, Noah seemed to wordlessly convince Lucas to eat his dinner. 

“See? It’s not so bad.”, Bucky smiled as Lucas began to eat. Though he didn’t look happy about it, Lucas finished his lasagna and pouted until everyone else was finished. 

Once the table was cleared and the twins’ hands and faces were cleaned up, Tony and Bucky took them back out to the beach.

“Just like papa promised.”, Tony kissed Lucas’ cheek. Lucas toddled over to Bucky, who walked ahead with Noah in his arms. Noah was then handed off to Tony and the two sat on the beach and watched Bucky and Lucas again. Neither was a fan of the water, but they were more than happy to watch the other two splash about. Noah let out a yawn and leaned back against Tony, his thick eyelashes resting on his round cheeks.

“Are you tired, bambino?”, Tony cooed. Noah adjusted himself into a more comfortable position and promptly fell asleep. The breeze ruffled his messy brown hair and his reddened cheeks became darker from spending his days out in the sun. Tony had to remember to find a better sunscreen.

The sky went from blue to orangey-pink all too soon for Lucas. Fortunately, he tired himself out too much to kick and scream and cry like Tony feared he would. That kid had inherited his own set of lungs and bullheadedness and would make his opinion on the matter of bedtime known for hours into the night.

“Say we put them to bed early?”, Bucky asked.

“Couldn’t hurt, could it?”, Tony shrugged. They took them up to their shared bedroom and laid them down gently. Lucas rustled around a bit before settling down again. Just before Tony and Bucky walked out the door, they heard a small, exhausted voice. 

“Nigh-nigh, papa. Nigh-nigh, dada.”, Lucas spoke sweetly, plopping his head back on the pillow and quickly falling asleep again.

“Night-night, baby.”

“Goodnight, sweetie.”

— 

Later, when the sky had become completely dark, Tony and Bucky found themselves in the living room watching tv, their only company was a six-pack of beer.

“First drink in nearly three years.”, Tony inspected the bottle.

“I’ll carry you upstairs when you pass out.”, Bucky joked. Tony tensed a little and glanced down at his midsection.

“If you could pick me up in the first place.”, Tony mumbled. Bucky heard and turned to look at Tony, who looked back up at the flatscreen.

“Tony, I can lift a whole garbage truck. I doubt you’ll be too much of a problem.”, Bucky said flatly. Tony looked him dead in the eye, his dark brown irises becoming black pits that had Bucky second-guessing his reply.

“So I weigh as much as a garbage truck now?”

“No, I’m just saying that you’re over dramatic.”, Bucky sipped his beer and played along nonchalantly while simultaneously trying to defuse the situation. Steve promised him that Tony’s hormones would even out after the twins were born, but he never said when. At this rate, they’d be eighteen and moved out by the time he could joke around comfortably with Tony.

Tony hated how much weight he gained while he was pregnant. He knew Bucky didn’t look at him the same anymore and that they only existed decently together to co-parent the boys. Tony always wanted Bucky, even before their first vacation to Malibu with the team, but not like this. Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers. 

“You look fine. Nobody’s noticed your weight except you.”, Bucky didn’t even look away from the tv.

“And you, obviously.”, Tony fired back.

“Not until you kept looking at yourself in the mirror. I always knew you were vain, but Jesus, this is a bit much.”, Bucky glanced his way.

“So you didn’t think I looked like a beached whale when I was pregnant?”, Tony asked, receiving a firm head-shake from Bucky.

“And you don’t think I’m fat now?”

“Nope.”, Bucky replied. 

That had to be a fucking joke. Tony gained fifty pounds after he had the boys. Sure, he was able to work some of it off in the gym with Natasha’s help, but he still wasn’t back to his old physique.

“If anything, your ass looks better than it did before.”, Bucky continued. Needless to say, Tony was taken aback. 

“Excuse me?”

“Your weight isn’t so much in your stomach as it is in your ass. I noticed about six months after the boys were born. You were bending over to pick up some toys and your pants were tighter. Been staring ever since. Now, if anyone else comes upon my little discovery, then we’ll have a problem.”, Bucky’s possessiveness started to show again for the first time in a long time.

“Are you high?”, Tony asked sincerely, earning a confused look from Bucky. 

“What?”

“You throw me away for nine months and it’s suddenly your job to comment on my ass?”

“I didn’t throw you away. You pushed me away and I respected your space.”, Bucky defended. They paused, careful not to raise their voices too much. 

“I don’t know the dictionary definition of respect, but it sure as hell doesn’t involve being a dickhead.”, Tony shot back, barely above a whisper.

“Listen, it was a confusing time. The first time we had sex, you got pregnant and I didn’t know how to handle it. I admit that there were things that could’ve been done better on my part, but you gotta own your shit, too.”, Bucky said in the same quiet but fierce way Tony did.

“You didn’t know how to handle me getting pregnant? Newsflash, neither did I.”

Bucky rolled his eyes and squinted them shut tight.

“You don’t know what it’s like to feel abandoned and wonder if you’re gonna have to raise your kids alone. Or to worry about the world judging them because their father doesn’t have an Alpha. I thought you didn’t want anything to do with us.”, Tony hissed.

“Didn’t want anything to do with you? I was there! At the beginning, before you basically kicked me out of the penthouse, I was with you one hundred percent.”, Bucky paused again and listened for some sign that he’d waken the twins up. Thankfully, no such sign was found.

“You were there because you had to be.”, Tony took another drink from his beer bottle just to occupy himself for a second.

“I was there because I wanted to be. I wanted to be with you. Sure, it wasn’t the way I pictured it, but I had you. If the only way I could be that close to you was because you were carrying my children, then so be it. I liked you, Tony, for a long time before Malibu.”, the admition seemed to have escaped Bucky bacause he stopped and his eyes grew to the size of the moon.

“You liked me?”, Tony was lost for words.

“Y-Yeah. I did.”

“But you don’t anymore?”

“No.”

Figures. Tony knew he screwed things up with Bucky a long time ago.

“Because, and I understand that this may come as a shock and I think I’m getting swept up in this whole family thing, but I think... I think I love you. A little bit.”, Bucky continued.

Tony sat speechless and wide-eyed. Bucky’s gaze was fixed on the coffee table. His hands played with the nearly empty beer bottle he held.

“Please don’t fuck with me like that.”

“It’s the truth.”

Tony took more time to contemplate and come up with a response.

“I love you, too. I really do.”

It may have been abrupt, but it felt right. It certainly got Bucky to give himself whiplash as how fast he looked up at Tony. 

—

The next morning, Tony and Bucky barely talked as they gave Noah and Lucas their breakfast. Noah noticed his parents’ sudden aversion to each other, while his brother played with an airplane he’d found under the table. Sitting in a regular chair, as he felt too grown up for his high chair, he kicked his legs back and forth as he watched Bucky and Tony avoid one another.

Tony, after a sleepless night, was not ready to confront Bucky about their conversation the previous night. Bucky didn’t seem to eager to say anything either, so that left them no other choice than to ignore one another. Their plan seemed to be working until Tony caught Noah staring at them. Noah was very attuned to his fathers’ moods and could sense the tension between them. 

“Hey, babe, could you pass me my coffee mug?”, Tony asked, nodding toward Noah when Bucky looked his way. 

“Sure, doll.”, Bucky understood what Tony was trying to do. Noah didn’t seem convinced and placed a cheerio in his mouth suspiciously. Lucas was still oblivious.

They shared painful small talk for the duration of the morning until Lucas wanted to go to the beach again. The sky looked a little gray and the water seemed a little choppy, but Bucky promised not to take Lucas close to the water. 

“You two be safe.”, Tony said as he set out paper and crayons on the patio table for Noah. 

Bucky brought Lucas back up to the house when rain started to fall. By the expression on Bucky’s face, Lucas started asking why they had to go inside. The boy took a sick pleasure in bombarding people with ‘why’ a million times.

“C’mon, we can’t stay out here.”, Bucky took Lucas’ hand and led him to the house.

“Why?”

“Because it’s raining.”

“Why?”

“Dammit.”

Tony smiled as he and Noah cleaned up the paper and crayons. Thunder started to rumble in the sky, threatening a nasty storm. Bucky took the twins to the living room and sat them on the carpet to play while Tony got lunch ready. 

Truthfully, Tony was still on shock. He never thought he’d hear Bucky say that he loved him. So, in true Tony Stark fashion, he wanted to take it and run with it for as long as he could, but how?

—

The rain grew heavier throughout the day, then brought on loud thunder and bright flashes of lightning. The boys were both endlessly fascinated and absolutely terrified of the thunderstorm as they watched through the window of their playroom. They were supposed to go back to New York in the morning, but all flights were cancelled due to inclement weather. 

“Little more time in Malibu never hurt anybody.”, Tony said, watching the boys as they stared out the window. 

“Okay boys, time for bed.”, Bucky said, escorting them both to their respective beds. With minimal resistance, the twins were in bed and half asleep by the time Tony and Bucky closed the door.

Tony huffed tiredly, leaning against the door and taking a deep breath.

“Tired?”, Bucky asked.

“Nah, just need a second.”, Tony answered.

“Good, because I’ve got plans for you, if you’re up for it.”, Bucky smirked slyly. Tony cocked an eyebrow and stood straight up again.

“What plans?”

“I was thinking we could continue what we started last time we were here. You remember what I’m talking about.”, Bucky’s voice pitched low and dark, pulling Tony close and looking at him with all kinds of filthy intent. 

“Vaguely, why don’t you remind me?”, Tony could easily match Bucky’s tone. He leaned into Bucky, feeling two hands cupping his rear. The same one that had been so highly praised the night before.

“Something like me fucking you into next year. Something about how my cock feels so good in your tight ass.”, Bucky’s mouth was now inches from Tony’s and the Omega was suddenly aware that two toddlers were on the other side of the door Bucky had him pressed up against. He took Bucky’s hand and led him downstairs to a guest room that was far enough away from the boys that they wouldn’t be woken up if things got loud. God, Tony hoped things got loud.

Bucky shut and locked the door behind him, then nudged Tony onto the bed. Their lips met in a passionate kiss with Tony curling his fingers in Bucky’s hair and Bucky trailing his lips down Tony’s neck and collar bone. Their clothes started to disappear, too. Tony suddenly found himself void of pants as slick started to run down his thighs. Bucky turned him over, nipping athis shoulders.

“You ready, doll?”

“God, yes.”

Tony remembered that, in the middle of a blinding heat, Bucky’s cock was a gift sent from all the deities Tony had ever heard of. It was, surprisingly, no different now. Tony found himself being stretched to his limit and he pressed back against Bucky’s thrusts to feel every inch of his impressive length. Bucky picked up the pace, holding onto Tony’s hips with an iron grip. 

Tony hadn’t lost a bit of his sexual prowess over the passed near three years. When he noticed that Bucky’s thrusts became less steady and slower, he managed to flip them over so he was riding Bucky backwards. Bucky wasted no time getting his hands on the ass he supposedly loved so much now.

Tony jerked his own cock as he bounced on Bucky’s. He could feel himself nearing the edge and quickened his pace and intensity. He clenched around Bucky, earning curses and moans from the Alpha. Again, Tony suddenly found himself on his back as Bucky worked toward his release, all the while giving Tony hickies up and down his neck. Tony finished, cum all over his chest and stomach. Bucky pulled out and added to the mess.

“Not quite ready for number three.”, Bucky played as he cleaned Tony and himself off with an old t-shirt. Tony got up and led Bucky to the shower where they finished cleaning themselves up. 

—

“How was Malibu?”, Bruce asked as he helped Tony unpack.

“It was fun. Spent a lot of time on the beach.”, Tony said.

“I see you and Bucky are getting along better.”, Bruce’s tone was suggestive enough to let Tony know that he could see one of Tony’s many hickies.

“We had sex once. Two consenting adults taking advantage of a guest room and an early bedtime.”, Tony shrugged as he put his clothes away.

“Yeah, it’s the ones who had the bedtime that I’m worried about.”, Bruce crossed his arms.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You two need to figure out if this is more than just sex. You can’t dangle a happy family in front your your kids’ faces and rip it away from them the next time you have a disagreement.”, Bruce said sternly.

Tony found the reason in Bruce’s concerns and promised him that he’d talk to Bucky.

“And buy better condoms this time.”, Bruce added before he left the penthouse.


End file.
